10 Things WWE Regrets About The Royal Rumble

2. The Whole CM Punk Concussion Thing

Cm Punk
WWE Network

At some point during the 2014 Royal Rumble match, CM Punk suffered a concussion during a blown spot with Kofi Kingston; noticing this. Dr. Chris Amann was dispatched to ringside by management to measure the temperature of the situation.

Trusting the judgment of the concussed pro wrestler and not the sober of mind medical professional, WWE refused to take the injury seriously and use it as pretext to bring forward the planned illegal elimination spot. Perhaps worried by Punk's threat - "If you make me leave this f*cking match, I'll f*cking quit now" - WWE neglected his wellbeing, and indulged his sense of professional pride.

The problem with that is, once more clear of mind, Punk came to realise that he had f*ck all of that left, and quit regardless.

Of course, this was among the more shocking developments of the decade. WWE weren't to know. But WWE should have known better as it pertained to the serious injury Punk suffered, the neglect towards which, in part, painted its medical staff as utter dopes in the minds of the Punk Vs. Amann jury.

This in retrospect is an awful, regrettable look for WWE about as unsightly as a baseball-sized lump.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!